Manufacture of washers



Feb. 3, 1942.

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l n ventor A Uorneys Patented Feb. 3, 1942 MANUFACTURE F WASHERS John Albert Chappuis, Neuchatel, Switzerland Application March 20, 1939, Serial No. 263,009 1n Great Britain September 30, 1938 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making washers from wire by bending it into rings and then subjecting the rings to a pressing operation.

According to the present invention, the washers are manufactured from wire of suitable section for bending into rings by forming the rings and then ilattening these rings between dies so as to cause the metal to ow transversely 'or radially inwardly towards the axis of the ring and thus reduce the dimension of the section in a direction parallel to the axis of the ring and increase the dimensionv thereof in a direction at right angles to they axis of the ring.

Further, if required,I the press tools maybe shaped to press the.` metal into attened form, but with a chamfered edge to the ring.

The wire from which. the washers are to be made is of a cross sectional shape which allows it to be readily bent into-v al ring,v and wire of` form a helix, and this helix may then be severed at one side parallel to its axis so as to divide it into a number of elementseach consisting of one, two or more turns of Wire, such elements being of helical form. These helical elements of wire when placed in the dies in the press are readily cold-forged into flat washer form.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the first stage in the manufacture of washers according to one of the methods which may be used in carrying this invention into eiect.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation illustrating the second step of the method.

Figure 3 is a sectional view in side elevation showing the completed washer.

Figure 4 is a sectional view in side elevation showing the dies before the pressing operation.

Figure 5 is a sectional view in side elevation showing the dies after the pressing operation.

One method of carrying the invention into effect is to form the wire into a helical coil as shown in Figure 1. It will be seen that in this coil certain of the turns of the coil, shown at I0, are in contact with each other, while other coils at the left-hand end, shown at II, are spaced from each other.A It is preferred to open out the end turns of the coil in this way in order to provide clearance for the tools used in severing the individual turns one by one.

The turns of the coil are separated by a shearing action producing an element I2, as shown in Figure 2. This element is conveyed by suitable means to press tools I3, I4, and the element, while still held in a suitable holder, is engaged at opposite sides by a punch and an anvil I3, I4 before the holder releases the element. When the tools I3, I4, have engaged opposite sidesof the element, the holder is released from the element and moved away, and the tools, I3, I4, then advance together until the shoulder I5 of the anvil I4 engages the end of a sleeve I6 when the movement of the punch I4 is arrested, and the anvil I3 continues to advance until the press? ing operation is completed as sh-own in Figure 5.

It will be appreciated that the gripping of the element I2 between the press tools I3, I4 centralizes the element in relation to the tools. Further, it will be seen that the anvil i4 works in a collar or die'll which serves to prevent the outward flow of the metal of the element under pressure.

The element is made of the same diameter as the internal diameter ofthe die I'l, and the holder can drop the element into the die I1 and on to the die I4. To facilitate this, the entrance end to the die I1 may be chamfered as shown. at I8. The radial flow of metal under pressure is inwards.

When the elements I2 are cut from the coil I I, the cut may be slightly oblique so that when the element is being pressed, danger of the ends overlapping will be eliminated.

The means for severing the elements I2 and conveying them to the press tools I3, I4, and the means for operating thepress tools are described in the specication of my concurrent patent application No. 304,442 and as described therein, the anvil I4 may act as an ejector.

Instead of making the rings or elements by severing individual turns from a coil, the rings may be made by severing suitable lengthsof wire and then bending the length into a ring.

What I claim then is:

1. A method of manufacturing washers from circular wire elements of helical form including the steps of pressing the elements axially to convert them into rings having unsecured ends, continuing the axial pressure while supporting the circumference against outward movement, but allowing the metal to flow inwardly towards the centre to change the shape of the cross section of the metal by reducing the dimension in an axial direction and increasing the dimension in a radial direction.

2. A method of manufacturing washers from circular wire rings having unsecured ends including the steps of feeding the rings one by one into combined gripping, conveying and pressing means conveying the rings so held into a collar supporting the circumference against outward movement, pressing the rings axially while a1- lowing the metal to flow inwardly towards the centre to change the shape of the cross section of the metal `by reducing the dimension in an axial direction and increasing the dimension in a radial direction and conveying the rings out of pressing means.

ward movement, pressing the elements axially to convert them into rings having unsecured ends, continuing the axial pressure to change the shape of the cross section of the metal by reducing the dimension in an axial direction and increasing the dimension in a radial direction and conveying the rings out of the collar.

4. A method of manufacturing washers from circular wire rings having unsecured ends including the steps of feeding the rings one by one into combined gripping, conveying and pressing means, guiding and conveying the rings so held in to a collar, supporting the circumference against outward movement, pressing the rings axially while allowing the metal to iiow inwardly towards'the centre to change the shape of the cross section of the metal by reducing the dimension in an axial direction and increasing the dimension in a radial direction and conveying the rings out of the collar and releasing them from the continued gripping, conveying and JOHN ALBERT CHAPPUIS. 

